I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of biology and medicine. More particularly, it concerns compounds, compositions and methods for the treatment and prevention of diseases such as those associated with oxidative stress and inflammation.
II. Description of Related Art
The anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity of the naturally occurring triterpenoid, oleanolic acid, has been further enhanced through chemical modifications. These efforts led, for example, to the synthesis of 2-cyano-3,12-diooxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO) and related compounds (Honda et al., 1997; Honda et al., 1998; Honda et al., 1999; Honda et al., 2000a; Honda et al., 2000b; Honda, et al., 2002; Suh et al. 1998; Suh et al., 1999; Place et al., 2003; Liby et al., 2005). The methyl ester, bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me), has been evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer, diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease.
Synthetic triterpenoid analogs of oleanolic acid have also been shown to be inhibitors of cellular inflammatory processes, such as the induction by IFN-γ of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and of COX-2 in mouse macrophages. See Honda et al. (2000a); Honda et al. (2000b), and Honda et al. (2002), which are all incorporated herein by reference. Synthetic derivatives of another triterpenoid, betulinic acid, have also been shown to inhibit cellular inflammatory processes, (Honda et al., 2006), but appear to have significant differences in their pharmacology compared to OA-derived compounds (Liby et al., 2007b).
In general, the pharmacology of these synthetic triterpenoid molecules is complex. Compounds derived from oleanolic acid have been shown to affect the function of multiple protein targets and thereby modulate the activity of several important cellular signaling pathways related to oxidative stress, cell cycle control, and inflammation (e.g., Dinkova-Kostova et al., 2005; Ahmad et al., 2006; Ahmad et al., 2008; Liby et al., 2007a).
Given that the biological activity profiles of triterpenoid derivatives vary, and in view of the wide variety of diseases that may be treated or prevented with compounds having potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and the high degree of unmet medical need represented within this variety of diseases, it is desirable to synthesize new compounds with unique biological activity profiles in order to provide effective treatment options for the diverse set of diseases and disorders discussed herein.